Eleven-year-old Athena Brown is already changing the world, one book at a time.
The Baltimore native created The Reading Queens, a book club for girls ages 7 to 14 that connects reading with real-life action. The group focuses on youth issues in their communities, reading stories told from a child’s perspective, then working together to design and complete service projects that address those concerns.
Through the club, girls strengthen their literacy skills while building confidence, leadership, and sisterhood.
Athena hopes The Reading Queens will continue to grow as a space where girls explore important topics facing young people today — and take steps to create positive change. Future discussions will focus on mental health, girl empowerment, body positivity, and bullying.
